On Gandhi Jayanti, Bheemavaram locals and students protesting against renaming Kasturba Govt Junior College to name of YSRCP MLA’s father

West Godavari: Today, on 2 October when world celebrates Mahatma Gandhi birth anniversary and remembers him for his greatness, a group of locals in Bheemavaram town in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh are fighting to save the name of “Kasturba Govt Junior College”. The ruling YSRCP MLA Srinivas Granthi’s is all set to rename the college with his father’s name ” Granthi Venkateshwara Rao.

This college in Bheemavaram was established by Late Chinthalapati Varaprasad Murthy Raju, popularly remembered as ” Murthy Raju Garu ” and also as ” Vidya Daata ” in the 60s as part of his philanthropic activities inspired by Late Mahatma Gandhi. The college is run by the Andhra Pradesh government and now it has issued an order renaming the college replacing Kasturba to Granthi Venkateshwara Rao.

The college students, alumni and locals are making every possible move to prevent it from being renamed to Granthi Venkateshwara Rao as it already has “Kasturba” name.

Ashoka Varma, a protestor fighting for the honor said,” Murthy Raju Garu was a selfless, kind-hearted person who did a lot for this area. Instead of naming the institutions started by him or his family members, he named it after freedom fighters and those who actively implemented it in the freedom movement. He was a Gandhian, named the college after Kasturba. Now the local MLA wants it to name it after his father. This is absolutely not acceptable.”

On the other hand,  Bheemavaram MLA Granthi Srinivas,  says, “We have every right to change the name as 35 cents of land was donated by the family to save this college which was being shifted to another place due to various reasons.  The MLA also blames those opposing the renaming say they have vested interests.”